In the long march towards full automation, the first victims were manual laborers, then it was blue collar workers and now its time to grab the white collars. Capitalism is profit maximization. It will be achieved only by driving costs price and sale price in favorably opposing directions. When the upper bound is limited, businesses tend to focus on the lower bound, the costs. Else, someone else will and they will be out of business. So cost reduction is inevitable. Digital technologies like AI, Machine learning, Robotic Process Automation, DLT provide a new wave of tools to reduce costs and businesses are bound to use them whether we like it or not. Only if there is a fundamental shift in free-market thinking, can this march be altered.
Having established the inevitability, let us focus on the response. In short term, every business is going to focus on AI and replace existing manual processes with bots and AI. Like the previous situations where every business replaced manual processes with automated workflows and computers, we are going to see another round of change and productivity improvement. Sensors, tracking technology and machine learning will be in demand and it makes sense to learn them.
In the medium term, however, there are some fascinating opportunities. One, research is going to be more interesting. 18th and 19th centuries saw an explosion of scientific discovery and technology. Fundamental research helped us understand things around us and we could build a cause and effect reasoning web to explain our interaction with the universe. Current research takes years and years of diligent focus to sift through existing body of knowledge, correlation, experimentation, publishing, peer review and then tangible benefits. AI can actually turbo charge learning. It can sift through massive amounts of existing research and provide instant response to the scientific inquiry and propel research. We should be ready for a new round of renaissance. Maybe one day we can control aging, travel without a medium using no fuels or friction.
Another interesting arena for technology would be checking crime, fraud, tax evasion and improving transparency. Criminals can no longer hide behind disconnected surveillance and monitoring systems. Interconnected and omnipresent AI-powered bots will trace them based on their human signature. Tax evaders should find it hard to hide behind mounds of paperwork, obfuscation, and I-know-you-cannot-check-history. The list goes on.
The point is, in the medium term, AI and automation will expand the reach of humans. You can sit and identify human limitations and imagine if Technology can help us. But the fundamental decision we need to face as humans is, will we use these technologies for the public good or for private profit. If we decide on the later, some individuals become superpowered and lead highly independent, resource guzzling existence while the rest will fight for whatever is left over.
In the medium term, however, there are some fascinating opportunities. One, research is going to be more interesting. 18th and 19th centuries saw an explosion of scientific discovery and technology. Fundamental research helped us understand things around us and we could build a cause and effect reasoning web to explain our interaction with the universe. Current research takes years and years of diligent focus to sift through existing body of knowledge, correlation, experimentation, publishing, peer review and then tangible benefits. AI can actually turbo charge learning. It can sift through massive amounts of existing research and provide instant response to the scientific inquiry and propel research. We should be ready for a new round of renaissance. Maybe one day we can control aging, travel without a medium using no fuels or friction.
Another interesting arena for technology would be checking crime, fraud, tax evasion and improving transparency. Criminals can no longer hide behind disconnected surveillance and monitoring systems. Interconnected and omnipresent AI-powered bots will trace them based on their human signature. Tax evaders should find it hard to hide behind mounds of paperwork, obfuscation, and I-know-you-cannot-check-history. The list goes on.
The point is, in the medium term, AI and automation will expand the reach of humans. You can sit and identify human limitations and imagine if Technology can help us. But the fundamental decision we need to face as humans is, will we use these technologies for the public good or for private profit. If we decide on the later, some individuals become superpowered and lead highly independent, resource guzzling existence while the rest will fight for whatever is left over.
In the long run, humans should focus on what only we are capable of. Sense, emotions, and innovation. I doubt if machines can develop common sense and feelings. To give you an example, fro me, the most cherished thing in Chennai is eating pipping hot plaintain "Bajji" near Thiruvanmiyur bus stand while chatting with humble and ever smiling "Cheta". I cannot imagine a bot serving me Bajji's even if were more hygienic and tasty. May be it is the same everywhere. Despite the war destroying it, despite the digital revolution providing a million alternatives like UHD, 3D, 4D and Dolby sterio, people wait in line patiently for hours to be seated for a play in Alter Oper in Frankfurt.
Similarly, only humans are capable of connecting diverse events and make sense out of them. Can a machine watch an apple falling from a tree deduce gravitational force? Or, can a machine build rust proof pipes by looking at snail shells? How aboutwaterproofingg by mimicking lotus leaves? One last one to drive the point home. Can a machine build navigation algorithms using the communication mechanism used by locusts?
There are many opportunities that only a fully developed thinking machine like a human brain can think of. We should focus on them.
Similarly, only humans are capable of connecting diverse events and make sense out of them. Can a machine watch an apple falling from a tree deduce gravitational force? Or, can a machine build rust proof pipes by looking at snail shells? How aboutwaterproofingg by mimicking lotus leaves? One last one to drive the point home. Can a machine build navigation algorithms using the communication mechanism used by locusts?
There are many opportunities that only a fully developed thinking machine like a human brain can think of. We should focus on them.
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